@article {6813,
	title = {Habitat complexity modifies ant-parasitoid interactions: implications for community dynamics and the role of disturbance},
	journal = {Oecologia (Berlin)},
	volume = {152},
	number = {1},
	year = {2007},
	month = {May},
	pages = {151-161},
	abstract = {Species must balance effective competition with avoidance of mortality imposed by predators or parasites to coexist within a local ecological community. Attributes of the habitat in which species interact, such as structural complexity, have the potential to affect how species balance competition and mortality by providing refuge from predators or parasites. Disturbance events such as fire can drastically alter habitat complexity and may be important modifiers of species interactions in communities. This study investigates whether the presence of habitat complexity in the form of leaf litter can alter interactions between the behaviorally dominant host ants Pheidole diversipilosa and Pheidole bicarinata, their respective specialist dipteran parasitoids (Phoridae: Apocephalus sp. 8 and Apocephalus sp. 25) and a single species of ant competitor (Dorymyrmex insanus). We used a factorial design to manipulate competition (presence/absence of competitors), mortality risk (presence/absence of parasitoids) and habitat complexity (presence/absence of leaf litter). Parasitoid presence reduced soldier caste foraging, but refuge from habitat complexity allowed increased soldier foraging in comparison to treatments in which no refuge was available. Variation in soldier foraging behavior correlated strongly with foraging success, a proxy for colony fitness. Habitat complexity allowed both host species to balance competitive success with mortality avoidance. The effect of fire on habitat complexity was also studied, and demonstrated that the immediate negative impact of fire on habitat complexity can persist for multiple years. Our findings indicate that habitat complexity can increase dominant host competitive success even in the presence of parasitoids, which may have consequences for coexistence of subordinate competitors and community diversity in general.},
	isbn = {0029-8549},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://ZOOREC:ZOOR14309056867 },
	author = {Wilkinson, Elliot B. and Feener, Donald H. , Jr.}
}
@article {6823,
	title = {Linked indirect effects in ant-phorid interactions: Impacts on ant assemblage structure},
	journal = {Oecologia (Berlin)},
	volume = {133},
	number = {4},
	year = {2002},
	month = {December},
	pages = {599-607},
	abstract = {Interaction modifications arise when the presence of one species alters the behavior of a second thereby altering that species{\textquoteright} interactions with a third. Species-specific phorid parasitoids that attack ants at food resources can modify the competitive interactions between their host and competing ant species. This study examines whether interaction modifications created during interactions between the phorid fly parasitoid, Apocephalus sp. 8, its host, Pheidole diversipilosa, and ant species with which P. diversipilosa competes determine P. diversipilosa{\textquoteright}s foraging success. We also explore how varying resource size affects the ability of P. diversipilosa to capture resources and if this factor changes the nature or magnitude of the interaction modifications. We find that conflict between the host ant and competitor species at resources greatly improves the ability of the parasitoid to locate its host. In addition, the presence of a parasitoid at a food resource strongly reduces the ability of the host ant to capture that food resource when competing with other ant species. A wide variety of competitor species benefit from these linked interaction modifications and do so in accordance with their abundance in the assemblage. Finally, the size of the food resource in dispute affects the ability of the host ant to capture the resource, but parasitism and resource size affect resource turnover independently. These results are relevant to understanding the importance of interaction modifications in determining structure of ant assemblages.},
	isbn = {0029-8549},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://ZOOREC:ZOOR13900010874 },
	author = {Lebrun, Edward G. and Feener, Donald H. , Jr.}
}
